December 3, 2008 Huron bishop not yet acting on same-sex blessings

The newly-elected bishop of the diocese of Huron, Robert Bennett, says that he has not yet acted on the diocesan synod’s motion in May asking the bishop to give clergy permission to bless same-sex marriages “where at least one party is baptized” and to authorize an appropriate rite.

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December 1, 2008 Final draft of Anglican covenant could take five years to sign on

The Covenant Design Group has published a document “which sets out the responses of the bishops at the Lambeth Conference in their discussions of the St. Andrew’s Draft for an Anglican covenant,” an Oct. 22 news release from the Anglican Communion Office announced.

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December 1, 2008 Lutheran bishops share similar same-sex issues

The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) said its joint meeting here with the Anglican Church of Canada’s house of bishops was “a sign of our deepening full communion relationship.”

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December 1, 2008 Dioceses consider next steps towards same-sex blessings

Bishops from four dioceses emerged from the house of bishops meeting in October struggling with how to proceed with plans to introduce same-sex blessings in their dioceses.

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December 1, 2008 Majority of bishops endorse moratoria

The Canadian house of bishops on Oct. 31 said a “large majority” of its members could affirm “a continued commitment to the greatest extent possible” to a moratorium on the blessing of same-sex unions but also recognized that this would pose difficulty for some dioceses “that in conscience have made decisions on these matters.”

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November 28, 2008 Conservative Anglicans determined to stay within church

About 50 conservative Anglican leaders, including eight young theological students, gathered in Toronto for a one-day consultation on Nov. 25 and emerged with a determination to remain within the Anglican Church of Canada. They...

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November 17, 2008 Anglican Network in Canada pushes for creation of North American province

Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) representatives are working with American colleagues in the Common Cause Partnership to create a new North American Anglican province, one that would be defined by their conservative theology rather than geography.

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November 11, 2008 Deposed Pittsburgh bishop elected to lead former Episcopalians, realigned diocese

Deposed Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan was elected Nov. 7 to serve as bishop of a diocese where a majority of members recently voted to leave the Episcopal Church and realign with the South America-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.

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November 6, 2008 Diocese of Niagara bishop calls for rite for same-sex blessing

The bishop of the diocese of Niagara, Michael Bird, on Nov. 6 said he intends to follow in the footsteps of two other bishops in the Anglican Church of Canada who have informed their synods about their intention to develop a rite that would allow the blessing of same-gender couples who have been civilly married.

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November 1, 2008 Northern dioceses weigh future

Yukon Archbishop Terrence Buckle urged Council of the North members to look ahead to General Synod 2010 and consider how decisions regarding the blessing of same-sex unions made during that upcoming meeting might affect the council.

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